Product Review: NewAir AC-12000E Portable Air Conditioner

The NewAir AC-12000E portable air conditioner is a mid-sized unit that stands 30 inches high, with a footprint that's just about 15 inches square. It weighs in at 56 pounds, which means that it's not exactly easy to move up and down stairs, but it's not impossible either. Four casters do make it very maneuverable from room to room, however, as do the handholds on each side of the unit. It is built with a sturdy plastic case, silver on the front and black in the rear, with a sleek modern design.

The front of the unit features an 8-button control panel (more about that later) and the air outlet vent, where the cold air comes out. The louvers can be adjust manually to direct the air flow higher or lower, or even closed off completely (to protect the insides of the unit from collecting dirt and dust when the unit isn't in use). The top rear filter can be fitted with an activated carbon filter to help reduce odors in the air.

Air intake filters are on the left and rear of the unit, and they all have filters that slide in and out, so that they can be removed for washing.

The exhaust air outlet is located on the rear of the unit, and it's about 5 inches in diameter - this is where the exhaust hose is connected, and it is threaded to allow a secure connection.

There is a covered compartment on the rear of the unit where the cord comes out that looks like it might be intended for cord storage. But given the thickness and length of the cord (it's 6 feet long), it doesn't actually fit in the opening provided. This is actually the only real design flaw with the unit.

Also on the back of the unit, near the bottom, is the drain for removing condensate water from the interior collection tank. It has both a rubber plug and a twist-on cap to prevent leaking.

The unit comes with an exhaust hose (extends to 5 feet), an exhaust hose adapter, and extendable window kit (2 pieces), a hose for the drain, an activated carbon filter, and a remote control.

The NewAir AC-12000 is a 12,000 BTU air conditioner that is intended for cooling rooms between 300 to 425 square feet. (BTUs are a measure of thermal energy, and are the standard by which heating and cooling systems are compared - the higher the BTUs, the more cooling power an air conditioner can provide).

It is equipped with an LCDI (Leakage Current Detection and Interrupt) plug. The "test" and "reset" buttons are designed to help protect against fires. It runs on standard household current of 115 volts/ 60Hz, with a power consumption of 1166 watts and 11 amps. It requires a grounded three-prong socket on a dedicated circuit.

The compressor is a standard rotary compressor unit, and it uses environmentally friendly R-410A refrigerant for cooling (an HCFC, not an ozone-depleting CFC).

The AC-12000E dehumidifies as part of the cooling function, or it can operate solely as a dehumidifier without cooling. Its capacity as a dehumidifier is 1.2 liters per hour, or over 28 liters a day. Because this unit uses auto-evaporative or self-evaporative technology, most of the water it removes from the air is reused to cool the compressor-condenser system, and then the moisture is vented outside through the exhaust. This not only improves the efficiency of the air conditioner, it means that except in the most humid conditions, you won't have to empty the tank on this unit very often.

Though it comes fully assembled, the NewAir AC-12000E does need to be installed before use - all air conditioners need to be vented outside in order to operate correctly. With the included window kit, set up if fairly quick - no more than 15 minutes in most situations - and all that's required is a Phillips screwdriver.

First, adjust the window spacers to fit in your widow opening. The AC-120000 comes with two spacers, 22" x 4" each. They slide together and are secured with a screw. They can go in either vertical or horizontal openings, and additional window spacers are available for longer windows.

One end of the exhaust hose is screwed into the air vent in the pack of the air conditioner, the other fits into the hose adapter. Then the hose adapter snaps easily into place in the window spacer opening.

The air conditioner should be positioned as close to the window as possible, with no kinks or sharp bends in the exhaust hose. Fortunately, the hose is flexible enough that it can easily accommodate most placement configurations.

The NewAir AC-12000E has an 8-button control panel with an LCD panel and indicator lights. The buttons are:

SPEED - Sets the fan speed on "HI" or "LOW".

TIMER - Sets the timer to turn the unit on or off after the time set, between 1 and 24 hours.

SLEEP - Puts the unit into Sleep Mode, which gradually increases the temperature over a period of several hours.

ION - Activates the unit's Ionizer, a filtering process that removes excess particles from the air.

MODE - Select between Cooling, Fan and Auto modes; in Auto, the AC will adjust the fan speed as needed according to the ambient temperature.

UP - Raises the target temperature level (makes it warmer).

DOWN - Lowers the target temperature level (makes it cooler).

ON/OFF - Turns the unit power on or off.

It also features lights to indicate when the compressor is running and when the water tank is full and needs to be emptied.

All the controls are very intuitive to use, and the control panel is clearly labeled so there is no confusion about what each button does. The remote provides access to all functions from across the room.

All air conditioners are expected to noisy, and this one is no exception. It measured at 75 decibels with the fan on low, and 83 decibels with the fan on high. This is comparable to the volume of a vacuum cleaner in the next room.

We tested the NewAir AC-12000E in an enclosed space of approximately 100 square feet. In under 10 minutes, it reduced the temperature from 77°F to 69°F.

A secondary test of the unit was run in second floor bedroom, as a supplement to central AC. In hot weather, this large bedroom receives too much sun to cool off sufficiently. After installing the AC-12000E on day when outdoor temperatures were 90°F and above, it reduced the temperature in the bedroom from 85°F to 75°F in one hour.

The NewAir AC-12000E is a good option for anyone looking to cool a mid-sized room, or provide additional cooling when central AC is not satisfactory. It has a solid construction, is easy to move from location to location, and is quick to set-up. The control interface is intuitive and provides many options for custom cooling control. The self-evaporative technology reduces the maintenance required, as does the simplicity of the filter system (just slide them out to clean). It provides plenty of cooling capacity to cool rooms up to 425 square feet (or provide supplemental cooling to larger rooms) which makes is a great choice for living areas, offices or even workshops and converted garages.